Wheeler and Evergreen (Quebec)

Wheeler Airlines

Wheeler Airlines played a large part in the early history of Forest Protection Limited. Together with Skyway Air Services, Wheeler supplied the first TBMs to the spray program (1958 to 1967). A biography of founder Frederick H. “Tom” Wheeler can be found at The Québec Air and Space Hall of Fame site, and is reproduced here:

Tom Wheeler (1894-1991) at the age of 6 moved from New York State to Saint-Jovite in the Mt. Tremblant Provincial Park region of the Laurentian Mountains 80 miles northwest of Montreal. His family operated the famous Gray Rocks Inn on the shores of Lac Ouimet which catered to the hunting and fishing crowd. Thinking of the plane for the transport of tourists on their domain, the Wheeler family chartered in 1921 an Avro 504K from the Canadian Aerial Services in Cartierville.

The following year, Tom Wheeler formed Gray Rocks Air Service. At the beginning, the company operated a small Curtiss JN-4 biplane. Throughout the years, the company got larger, adopting in 1946 the name of Wheeler Airlines. The fleet of Travel Air, Junkers, Fairchild, Norseman, Stearman and the other bush aircraft of the first years, grew more and more with the addition of DC-3s, DC-4s, C-46s and Cansos.

In the 1950’s, Wheeler Airlines had become one of the biggest bush operators in the country and was under the supervision of Managing Director Bob Rychlicki. The Chief Pilot of the Spray Division was George Lovatt. In 1953, Wheeler Airlines, as prime contractor, was put in charge of organizing the entire New Brunswick spruce budworm operation, which at the time used Stearmans as sprayers, over an American company [Central – C. Adam]. Canadian operators had objected to the use of the more experienced Americans, claiming that they too had acquired enough experience to play a larger role.

Wheeler supplied Avengers to the budworm spray program from 1958 to 1967 using Avengers purchased from the Royal Canadian Navy in 1958.

Thinking of retirement, Tom Wheeler sold the heavy division of his fleet to Nordair in 1960, keeping the light transports for hunters and fishermen. The new name was Wheeler Airlines (1960) Limited. Finally, in 1967, Wheeler sold the rest of his air operations to Power Corporation. Retired, Wheeler continued to be interested in aviation, sitting on the Board of Directors of Canadian (Okanagan) Helicopters. Of a modest and private nature, Tom Wheeler was recognized as a perfect gentleman.

Wheeler Airlines letterhead 1959, from the FPL files.

Wheeler Airlines (1960) letterhead 1961, from the FPL files.

From the November 3, 1962, Financial Post. [FPL files]

An article about Wheeler Airlines by Kenneth Owen, Flight, 1959, gives an excellent overview of the company and its facilities in Quebec.

The Original Wheeler TBMs

All of the Wheeler’s TBM registrations followed a strict alphabetical and numerical order.

Avengers owned by Wheeler Airlines from 1958 to 1975, with FPL tail numbers, with their original colours. All were purchased from the Royal Canadian Navy in 1958.

BuNo

Reg’n.

Tail #

SOC RCN

Colour

FPL #

53558

FIMQ

#500

1958

yellow

53610

FIMR

#501

1958

yellow

FPL #23

53759

FIMS

#502

1958

grey/red

69347

FIMT

#503

1958

possibly grey/red

69354

FIMU

#504

1958

grey

85665

FIMV

#505

1958

yellow

FPL #26

85928

FIMW

#506

1958

yellow

86098

FIMX

#507

1958

yellow

In 1958, Wheeler Airlines supplied seven Stearmans and seven Avengers to the spray program [Wheeler Air Lines Ltd., Maintenance Division – Budworm, Progress Report, April 28, 1958]. The Avengers were six operational and one spare (CF-IMU, the untanked aircraft). The report states that the Avengers “are being converted by Fairey Aviation, Dartmouth, N.S. and are scheduled for completion by May 15.”

Wheeler TBM #500 (CF-IMQ) wreck, Juniper NB, June 1958. In the early years, the Wheeler logo was red.

Wheeler TBMs #501 FIMR and 507 FIMX parked, 1966, sporting their yellow colours. In later years, the Wheeler logo was black.

Wheeler Northland Airways

Wheeler-Northland Airways Ltd. was formed after Tom Wheeler sold his interest to Power Corporation. Based in St. Jean, Quebec and at the Montréal International (Dorval) – Montréal-Trudeau Airport (formerly called Dorval Airport). Wheeler-Northland supplied TBMs to the spray program from 1968 to 1970. All were eventually sold to Evergreen Air Services in 1970.

This is Wheeler-Northland TBM #505 FIMV at St-Jean, Quebec, 12 Nov 1969. She is no longer sporting her yellow plumage. [Frank Hudson, Airliners.net]

Avengers owned by Wheeler Airlines and Wheeler-Northland (WN) Airways from 1958 to 1970.

Tail #

Reg’n.

Crashed

1958

1959

1960

1961

1962

1963

1964

1965

1966

1967

1968 WN

1969 WN

1970 WN

500

FIMQ

Jun 1, 1958

✓✓

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

501

FIMR

✓

✓

✓✓

✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

502

FIMS

June 12, 1960

✓✓

✓

✓✓

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

503

FIMT

May 2, 1963

✓✓

✓

✓✓

✓

✓✓

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

504

FIMU

Junked 1958

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

505

FIMV

✓✓

✓

✓✓

✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

506

FIMW

✓✓

✓

✓✓

✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓

✓

✓✓

✓✓

507

FIMX

✓✓

✓

✓✓

✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓

✓✓

✓✓

Total Wheeler TBMs in NB + Que

6

0

6?

5?

5

4

4

4

4

3

2

4

4

Total Wheeler TBMs

8

7

6

5

5

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

Total All TBMs in NB

12

0

20

24

14

6

28

19

22

13

7

26

27

Evergreen Air Services

George Lovett, Operations Manager of Wheeler Airlines, formed his own company, Evergreen Air Services, in Quebec, in Roxboro and Pierrefonds, and bought the last four TBMs from Wheeler Northland in 1970. Two crashed and 2 were sold to FPL. Evergreen also had an office in Upper Blackville, NB, which is located southwest of Miramichi, halfway between Miramichi and Boiestown, in the neighbourhood of the Dunphy Airstrip.

Since FPL was not a licensed aircraft operator, an agreement was made with Evergreen Air Services Limited whereby Evergreen would “dry lease” the FPL TBMs and operate them under contract for the 1975 season. The formalities of FPL becoming a fully licensed operator were not completed prior to the 1976 season, thus dry leasing continued for another year. On 12 May, 1977, FPL was granted an Operating Certificate, which meant that dry leasing was no longer necessary. [FPL Annual Reports]

Avengers owned by Evergreen Air Services from 1971 to 1975.

Tail #

Reg’n.

Crashed

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

501

FIMR

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

505

FIMV

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

506

FIMW

Jun 10, 1975

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

507

FIMX

Jun 7, 1974

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

x

Total Evergreen TBMs in NB + Que

4

4

4

4

3

Total Evergreen TBMs

4

4

4

4

3

Total All TBMs in NB

45

44

18

20

32

Evergreen also owned a hangar at the Fredericton Airport, which was leased to Woodlands Aviation Limited, which conducted the maintenance of FPL’s aircraft under contract. FPL leased the hangar commencing 1 August 1985, and proceeded to carry out renovations for offices to accommodate headquarters personnel.